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FIELD MEASUREMENTS: SOME EXAMPLES OF THEIR INFLUENCE ON FOUNDATION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

In an effort to encourage engineers to monitor the behavior of foundations and structures, examples are described of the way in which the results of field measurements have been used in the design and construction of foundations. A variety of instruments and their use in observing the movement of the ground beneath and around foundations are described. The instruments include precision surveying equipment, inclinometers and borehole extensometers. Case histories are presented in which the results of field measurements have made a significant contribution to the understanding of the behavior of the ground and its interaction with the structure. The examples include studies of the founding properties of chalk, foundations on stiff clays and the behavior and design of deep basement excavations. These examples illustrate the vital role that field measurments play in developing experience and understanding of foundation design and performance.